Our patient Lauren came in recently for her regular dental cleaning, and she mentioned that her teeth weren’t looking as luminous as she wanted them to. Lauren really wanted to refresh her smile before the holidays. Our Sullivan cosmetic dentists explained to her that with professional teeth whitening treatments we could lighten her smile by several shades.

What is teeth whitening?

Teeth whitening treatments are available as professional formulations and over the counter products. Although we frequently call these teeth whitening treatments, they are actually classified as teeth bleaching treatments, because they utilize carbamide or hydrogen peroxide to whiten dental enamel. Teeth bleaching products have the ability to whiten teeth beyond their natural shade of whiteness.

These products are generally applied as gels or pastes. They are kept in place with mouthpieces, whitening strips, or are applied directly to exposed teeth and cured with a laser.

The primary difference between professional teeth whitening products and at-home formulations is the potency of the product. The teeth whitening gel that your dentist uses has a greater concentration of peroxide, meaning that it whitens teeth faster and more effectively than at-home products. Self-administered whitening strips or gels have a lower concentration of active ingredients, so although they are less effective, they are also less expensive and they can be applied without a dentist’s supervision. Additionally, some patients will find that their teeth are only responsive to full strength professional products—this often depends on the extent and type of enamel staining.

Lauren chose to have professional teeth whitening, and she loves the results. Her teeth are significantly whiter now, and her whole smile looks younger and more cohesive. If you’ve been considering cosmetic dentistry in general or teeth whitening in particular, don’t hesitate to give our Sullivan cosmetic dentists a call for more information—(573) 321-4008—we’re here to help!